by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
- Independent living Harold Baggott, who drives daily, demonstrated an all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E to his great-grandchildren
- The former coach company proprietor and Ford customer’s interest in electrification prompted the test drive from the British Motor Museum, Beaulieu, near his Hampshire home
- Car-mad great-grandchildren Felix and Charlie joined in the experience, which included riding in a Model T – the same as Harold first drove on private land in 1930
Born in 1920, Harold Baggott, had his first taste of getting behind the wheel of the Model T aged 10, driving the family’s milkman’s delivery float on a farm.
He went on to get his license in 1936 (the first year they were introduced), and purchased his first car, a Ford 8 Popular in 1937 for £100 and a Ford Anglia the next year.
Since then the family has owned 20 Fords privately, as well as Ford commercial vehicles in chassis form, converted into coaches for a fleet of 140 run by their travel and coach business.
Mr Baggott was reminded of his Model T experiences with rides in a 1915 model from Ford’s heritage collection, before moving bang up to date and behind the Mustang Mach-E’s steering wheel.
Driving 15-year-old Felix, who has ambitions to be a racing driver, and his 12-year-old brother Charlie, three miles from Beaulieu to former shipbuilding village Bucklers Hard, Mr Baggott was struck by the quietness of electric motoring.
He said: “Since the age of 10, I’ve retained my interest in motoring and today find myself interested in the switch to electrification following the government phasing out the traditional combustion engines I’m used to. I have reminisced about my driving history with the Model T and seen what the future has in store. It was exciting to get behind the wheel of what I expect to see my great grandchildren will be driving.”
The Mach-E is Ford’s first all-electric SUV on sale now, with a maximum electric driving range of 379 miles.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
- Iron Lynx takes podium at Le Mans 24 Hours
- All cars finish the legendary race in the top ten
- Victory and two further podiums at Road to Le Mans support races
Italian racing team Iron Lynx wrote its name in the history books on Sunday, taking third, fourth and ninth positions in the LMGTE Am class at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The team focused on its endurance pace during testing so were unworried about lining up in seventh (#80), seventeenth (#85) and eighteenth (#60) for the start, held under an extended safety car period due to heavy rain minutes before the flag fell.
Car #60 was started by Claudio Schiavoni, teamed with Raffaele Giammaria and Paolo Ruberti. Schiavoni’s third race at Le Mans saw him deliver a faultless performance, maximising his experience and maintaining a strong rhythm in the race with no errors. In doing so, he helped the team gain ten places by hour six, and see the car into sixth place at hour ten. The team toiled to maintain this position through the night and into the morning, and a breakthrough around noon brought the Ferrari into fourth place, where it stayed until the flag.
The Iron Dames car of Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting and Le Mans debutant Sarah Bovy made up positions fast, running as high as third in the first hour, but their race was one of misfortune and determined recovery, as the car suffered two punctures and a damper issue, dropping to sixteenth before battling back into ninth place after 24 hours.
It was a day of days for Ferrari #80. Matteo Cressoni started the car and took it into third position in the second hour, before handing to Rino Mastronardi and then Callum Ilott. The Briton, in his first Le Mans outing, had the honour of leading the class battle towards midnight, after which the car was never out of the podium positions, and with a mix of exhaustion and elation, the team cheered their car across the line in third place at the end of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
It was a breakthrough for Iron Lynx in its first FIA World Endurance Championship season, marking the team’s best result in the Championship so far. Team Principal Andrea Piccini stood proudly alongside the team on the podium, some fifteen years after his own second place at Le Mans as a driver.
“We have achieved a dream today”, Piccini said. “Our World Endurance campaign has been building up to this, and I’m happy to say that the cars and drivers performed to an exceptional level today and the whole team rose to the occasion. To miss out on a podium at Le Mans takes just one piece of bad luck, but to get to the podium, every last element must work perfectly, and I am so proud of the team for the job they did.”
Iron Lynx had reason to celebrate even prior to the 24 Hour race, taking three podiums in the feeder Road to Le Mans races, including a win on the Thursday in the GT3 category for Rory Penttinen and Logan Sargeant. They were joined on the podium by the Iron Dames car of Manuela Gostner and Doriane Pin in third. Saturday morning brought another podium for Rory and Logan, which could so easily have been a win were it not for issues with traffic on the final lap of the race. The #8 Iron Lynx car leads the Michelin Le Mans Cup standings with two rounds to go.
Iron Lynx used the 24 Hours of Le Mans to debut its #RaceToInspire campaign, which encourages others to dedicate themselves to following their dreams. Throughout the Le Mans week, Iron Lynx drivers have been sharing their own stories of inspiration and bespoke artworks by noted artist Francesco Poroli were unveiled and signed by the drivers. A Spotify playlist, with the input of the Iron Lynx drivers, is available via the team’s social media so that fans can enjoy the team’s Le Mans soundtrack. The #RaceToInspire manifesto video, which launched at the start of the week, has reached over half a million people.
Iron Lynx will return to the track for the Ferrari Challenge and GT World Challenge races at the Nürburgring across the next two weekends, as the team’s sensational season continues to inspire.
by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
- Sleeping with Art is the first and only yearly event uniting cars and art
- Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley Motors, Morgan Motors, Alpine, CALLUM Design, Polestar, Aston Martin Heritage Trust and Arash Motor Company confirmed to exhibit
- 80 artists, including the first time Camilo Rios (RioCam) will exhibit outside of the US
- Sleeping with Art will donate 10% of the sale proceeds of any art sold to UNICEF UK to support the Global COVAX facility
- Tickets strictly limited to 300 and available now at sleepingwithart.com
Sleeping with Art, a new immersive art and automotive experience will allow visitors to surround themselves with works of art and stunning prestige vehicles.
The exhibits will be displayed throughout the stunning venue, including bedrooms, corridors and gardens. Among the artwork, there will be art cars, rare classic cars, prototypes and racing cars displayed as works of art. The event will showcase artwork developed by eighty artists.
Sleeping with Art will take place on the 23rd and 24th September at Lemore Estate in Herefordshire and will welcome 300 visitors who are passionate about cars and art.
Among the automotive brands supporting the event are Jaguar Land Rover, Bentley Motors, Morgan Motors, Alpine, CALLUM Design, Arash Motor Company and others.
Photographer Gered Mankowitz and Royal Portrait artist Christian Furr will unveil a unique collaborative artwork they have created for the event, a one-off piece never shown before.
Among the 80 artists showcasing their work are Miami-based Camilo Rios (aka RIOCAM), Scottish Pop artist Stuart McAlpine Miller, US-based Derek Gores, motoring artist Paul Oz and car designer Robert Melville (McLaren).
It will be the first time US based artist Derek Gores will exhibit his work in UK and the first time Camilo Rios (RioCam) will exhibit outside of the US. Sculptor Margot Roulleau-Gallais will show a bust of British motorsport commentator Murray Walker created specially for the event.
In collaboration with UNICEF UK, Sleeping with Art will be fundraising for UNICEF, the charity leading the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation ever: The Global COVAX Facility. The aim of the initiative is to deliver 2 billion COVID-19 vaccines around the world by the end of 2021. Sleeping with Art will donate 10% of the sale proceeds of any artwork sold at the event to UNICEF UK. Members of the public are encouraged to donate via their JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sleepingwithart
Gordon Glick, Deputy Executive Director, Partnerships and Philanthropy, UNICEF UK said:
“We are delighted that Sleeping with Art have chosen to raise funds for UNICEF UK. The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest and most urgent global crisis that children have faced since World War Two. The world will only begin to recover from the pandemic when people in lower-income countries have access to vaccines, tests and treatments. UNICEF is ensuring that no one is left and is on a mission to deliver 2 billion vaccines around the world this year. Funds raised will protect those most at-risk, help struggling health services get back on their feet and ensure that millions of children can go back to school.”
Multi-million pound cars will be displayed among works of art showcased throughout the grounds of Lemore Estate and in private and public rooms.
Sleeping with Art is a yearly event uniting cars and art, it gives the opportunity to automotive brands and artists to showcase their work to a select audience of art and car buyers and enthusiasts.
The event concept was created by Renata Fernandes from Five Star Trilogy in collaboration with John Cotton and Servanne Sohier from Art in Agency and Jack Traquair from Traquair Acquisitions. Sleeping with Art is supported by UNICEF UK and welcomes as key sponsors Artisan Coffee & Co, Duncan Taylor Scotch Whisky, Jaguar Land Rover and Classic Racing Spirit.
Tickets can be requested via the website: www.sleepingwithart.com
For the list of artists visit:
https://www.sleepingwithart.com/artists
For information on Art in Agency visit:
https://www.artin.agency
For information on Five Star Trilogy visit:
https://fivestartrilogy.com
by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
The new AC Cobra Series 1 electric made a stunning debut at last week’s British Motor Show, with the tens of thousands of attendees enjoying the car as part of its public premier.
As Britain’s oldest vehicle manufacturer in continuous existence, AC Car’s new Series 1 electric is the next chapter in a story that stretches back 120 years. The legendary marque is ushering in a new generation of high-performance, hand built electric sports cars, with is first model being the AC Cobra Series 1 electric.
Retaining the craftsmanship and iconic styling that the Cobra is world famous for, underpinned by a market leading electric drivetrain developed by Derbyshire partner Falcon Electric, the AC Cobra Series 1 electric was a hit over the four days of the show.
Alan Lubinsky, Chief Executive of AC Cars for more than two decades, said: “This was our first chance to show off the car, and the positive response was overwhelming. There’s so much adoration for the AC Cobra, whether you’re six years old or over 60 – and the chance to share and enjoy people’s stories was fantastic. It shows that our best of British approach – combining an iconic car with cutting edge technology – will be a sure-fire hit.”
The static debut as part of the Select Electric Motor Show this year’s Farnborough event showed off the car’s timeless design but with a modern electric powertrain.
With a 0-62mph time of around 4secs, and 500 Nm of torque (peak), the Series 1 electric is as potent as AC Cobras of old, but now comes with a range of around 150 emissions-free miles.
A world away from the numerous imitators and look-a-likes, the AC Cobra Series 1 electric provides owners with an expertly crafted, brand-new electric car that’s fully energized and ready to drive. Wearing the all-important AC Cars chassis number, and limited to just 58 examples worldwide, its place in the British brand’s cannon is already confirmed.
AC Cars is now finalising the Series 1 electric, along with the first deliveries to customers, as well as working on the development of a series of new cars, which includes the AC Cobra Series 4 electric announced in June.
More information is available on the AC website, www.accars.eu
- Acceleration 0-62 mph: approx. 4 seconds
- Torque: 500 Nm Peak/250 Nm Continuous
- Estimated Range: 150 miles
- Power: 230 kW
- Battery Capacity: 55 kWh
- Weight: approx. 1050 kg
by gaukcars.com | Oct 1, 2024 | Blog
- New Soul EV ‘Maxx’ replaces ‘First Edition’ launch model in the UK
- Features new Kia logo, two new paint options, and comprehensive equipment levels
- £34,945 on-the-road; £32,445 with Plug-in Car Grant
Kia UK has today introduced the Soul EV ‘Maxx’, replacing the existing ‘First Edition’ variant in the UK line-up that has been available since the car’s launch.
Available for customers to order now, the Soul EV ‘Maxx’ is available from £34,945 on-the-road, making it eligible for the UK Government’s £2,500 Plug-in Car Grant. This reduces the price that customers pay to £32,445.
Retaining the same funky and distinctive design of the existing ‘First Edition’ launch model, the ‘Maxx’ features the new Kia logo inside and out. Its comprehensive standard equipment includes 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels, black leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, and Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™.
The ‘Maxx’ also receives two new metallic paint colour options: single-tone Snow White Pearl (as standard) and a new two-tone Inferno Red body with Black roof (optional, priced at £575). Two existing two-tone premium paint options are also available: Quartz Black with Red and Neptune Blue with Black.
The Soul EV ‘Maxx’ embraces the iconic design and playful character of its predecessors, and features the same long-range 64kWh lithium-ion battery pack as before, delivering an impressive range of 280 miles on a single charge (WLTP, combined).
The Soul EV remains a popular choice with EV buyers, with more than 900 sold in the UK so far in 2021. It is one of two fully electric models offered by Kia UK, alongside the popular e-Niro electric crossover. The Soul EV and e-Niro will be joined later in 2021 by the Kia EV6.
First customer deliveries of the Soul EV ‘Maxx’ are expected in autumn 2021. As with all Kia models, the Soul EV ‘Maxx’ will benefit from Kia’s industry-leading 7-year/100,000 mile warranty.
